Troubled Rescue
by Warp Darkmatter
Summary: Team Lightyear arrive at Rhizome to test a new device, but Zurg has a plan....


Authors Note: The characters in this story are the property of Pixar and Disney. Please review my story, but no flames please. Well, I might do another story about what happens to Warp, Buzz and the gang to better finish the end of this one. May-be I'll write a second or a part two. Oh, and a special thanks to my sis Livie Lightyear, who helped me with some of the wording. Anyhow, hope ya enjoy!!!!!!  
  
Troubled Rescue  
  
PART 1: THEIR FIRST MISSION  
  
Today, partly sunny and a thirty percent chance of—click! Buzz Lightyear turned off the radio next to him as he sat up in his bunk. It was 6:30 in the morning and his usual 'cup of java' was sounding pretty good. He made his way to the mess hall were the rest of Team Lightyear were already congregated. Buzz usually waited for them and they were wondering where he was. "Hay, Buzz!" Team Lightyear said at the same time.  
  
"You O.K?" Mira Nova questioned as she noted Buzz's sluggish behavior. "Fine Mira, just had some trouble sleeping last night."  
  
"Well I never have trouble sleeping." XR mentioned.  
"Yeah, like the time you dosed off in the middle of one of our briefings last week." Mira said smiling. "Hay!" The little robot crossed his arms.  
  
Booster just watched the two go back and forth as he shoved the last of his breakfast in his mouth.  
"Oh, well I remember the time you started to—" The intercom sounded off, cutting off XR's sentence.  
"Commander Nebula calling Team Lightyear to the briefing room."  
"Come on, rangers." Buzz added as they all headed back though the cafeteria to their destination.  
"Yes, Sir?" Lightyear said respectfully.  
  
"We just got a transmission from Rhizome. Professor Triffid has a new device for you and your team to look over-for security purposes."  
  
"Yes, Sir, we'll get right on it." Lightyear answered.  
"Good. You're scheduled to meet the professor at 0-9 hundred hour."  
They were dismissed, and Team Lightyear started to make there way to cruiser 42's dock.  
"Rhizome! Ya know last time we had a run –in with 'Mr. Green Thumb' I was 42's head ornament!"  
XR complained as there star cruiser was in sight.  
  
"Now just cool your crank-case. Its just Rhizome, what's the worst that could happen?"  
  
PART 2: ZURG'S PLAN  
  
"Ahhh." Warp let out a sigh as he flopped down on an over sized recliner. He sorted though a stack of Intergalactic Geographic magazines on a near by side table. Than quickly glancing left to right, to see if anyone was coming, Warp pulled out a Star Command training manual. Carefully he opened to Gamma sub-section Delta. "How to act quickly to resolve a problem." Warp murmured the title of the section. "Right, like I'll ever need that." Cautiously he read on, but still glancing in-between paragraphs to see if anyone was looking.  
"Umm...Sir?" A quiet voice said.  
  
Startled by the grubs presence, he quickly put the manual back in its hiding place.  
"What?!" He said almost embarrassed.  
  
"Evil Emperor Zurg sent you an urgent transmission, Sir." "Well, than go put him on the screen!" Warp pointed to a control panel. The grub quickly squired to the post and hit a button. Click-ziiip!!! Zurg's image appeared overhead. "What is—err-umm yes, Evil Emperor Zurg?" "Ahhh...Darkmatter, my plan is in its final stages. The invisoration ray is almost complete. The last filter piece is in place." "So, its—"Zurg cut off Darkmatter's sentence. "Yes, invisible! Its lazar can melt and disintegrate Star command's main computer with out being seen or detected until it's too late! This is twisted fun!" The evil emperor rambled. "And you want me to deliver its power source?"  
  
"So your not as dumb as you look!" Zurg said chuckling. An annoyed Warp went on. "The only way to power that glorified gun would have to be..."He stopped his sentence by motioning with his metallic hand to let Zerg finish it. "The biggest source of energy and power—Rhizome's power plant."  
  
PART 3: PLANT TESTING  
  
"Buzz, We're approaching Rhizome." Mira told the captain  
"Oh good bye poor, defenseless Universe!" XR cried as he put the back of his purple hand to his fore head. Mira turned around in her seat and rolled her eyes at the dramatic robot. "What?" XR said shrugging his shoulders as cruiser 42 zoomed into the planet's atmosphere.  
"Hello, Rangers, and welcome to  
Rhizome." Professor Triffid said with a smile on his face. Team Lightyear had met up with the professor in his Rhizomian lab.  
"Wow, what does this gizmo do?" Booster questioned holding up what looked like a stick with odd projections. "Ahhh, that's our new communication device. It's still in progress."  
"Cool!"  
  
"Here we are." Triffid announced showing Team Lightyear the device to be tested. "Uhh, that just looks like –"Buzz's sentence was cut off by the professor. "A simple garden hose?" Lightyear looked skeptical.  
  
"Well, when it is activated like so," The professor turned a knob and placed it on the floor." the electro-charge vines sprout out, forming an unbreakable barrier. We had some trouble with older versions."  
"May I?" Buzz pointed to the strange charged greenery.  
  
"Of course."  
  
Buzz walked up to the device and studied it carefully. Then using his wrist laser, tried to blast a hole through it's middle. Like how a criminal might try to escape, but nothing happed.  
  
"Impressive isn't it?" Triffed said proudly. "The electricity creates a shield –like protectant."  
"Yes, professor, but more initial testing has to be made."  
  
"Of course, right this way." The professor led the team to a special testing site.  
"This is ware we do most of our complex testing."  
  
"Oh, let me at it!" XR said determinly as he went up to the charged barrier.  
"Ugh, I wouldn't—"Triffid began.  
  
"Oh, I'm a professional." XR put his hand out to lean up against the charged part of the wall—sszzzaaap!  
"It also is equipped with a electrocuting device." The professor told the steaming, sizzling robot.  
"Yeah, XR, talk about a shocking experience!" Mira chuckled. The rest of the team, especially XR, gave Mira a blank stare at her dry joke.  
  
"Uh, ahem, my—my bad. Mira murmured, smiling.  
  
The team made some further test requirements, and needless to say it pasted with flying colors.  
"Good work, Professor. Every things a-okay." Buzz informed Triffid.  
"Thank you, Rangers."  
  
"Oh, just doing our jobs."  
  
"Its late, let me arrange a room for you, for your trouble."  
  
PART 4: THE POWER OUT  
  
"There it is." Warp whispered to himself while hiding in a discrete shadow near the power plant house. "This is going to be a piece of intergalactic pie."  
  
He quickly checked to see if anyone was coming, and swiftly moved closer and closer to the entrance, then sneakily, he creped up to his target.  
  
"Hmmm...password activated door—cute."  
  
Ripping the leafy bottom panel off of the keypad, Warp reached in and pulled out a little wire like vine. As soon as it was cut in two the door flew opened. He entered, chuckling to himself. He managed to slip by their other security  
systems easily, and an another hot-wire job was done to the alarm system.  
"Mmm...with cosmic cool whip on top. I think some one needs to upgrade their security."  
As he took a quarter-half turn he could see the power plant. Huge tree-trunk like stalks rose from the floor and towered to the ceiling. Smaller projections made up its complex network, connecting to other boxes and controls. Its glow of energy cast a pinkish-green hugue in the room. Darkmatter stood, looking at the huge, charged plant. Realizing he was neglecting his mission, turned to his side and picked up a large alloy box. He placed it near one of the power plant's smaller vines.  
  
"Zurg said that this box would soak the power and energy out of this baby," Warp said to himself ready to pull a vine. "Guess just plug it in the-"But when he made a disconnection....  
  
At Rhizome's hotel...  
  
"Mira, Booster wake up!" Buzz's alarming voice woke the two.  
"What?" Mira said yawning.  
  
"We got an red alert. Booster get XR up and meet me downstairs. Mira, you're with me." "Right behind ya Buzz." Mira quickly jumped out of bed and joined Lightyear. As the two ran downstairs, Booster shook XR at the shoulder.  
  
"Oh man, -come on XR!"  
  
"Ahhh...yes I'm a natural yellow." The dreaming robot mumbled.  
"WAKE UP!" Now violently shacking XR's head.  
  
"UGH, Booster what?" XR said dizzily, putting a hand to his metallic forehead.  
"Come on, Buzz says it's a red alert."  
Down stairs, the team met up with Professor Triffid. "Professor, clue us in." Buzz tolled him as he walked in the room.  
  
"Power is going out all over the city. Every thing is shutting down." Triffid tried to remain calm. Then Mira mentioned questioning,"But uh, isn't that impossible? I mean can a plant blow a fuse?" "A plant can loose power but not all over the city, and the back- up systems are not responding." Buzz stood thinking in deep thought, then had a hunch. "The power plant." "But Buzz, wouldn't the alarm go off and stuff?"  
  
"Not necessarily, Booster. Come on team, its time for a little gardening."  
  
PART 5: UNEXPECTED RESCUE  
  
"Sweet mother of Venus!" Lightyear cried in horror as he and the team witnessed the power plant crumbling to the ground.  
"Buzz, uhh, what's happening?" XR said wide-eyed.  
"When a disconnection is made that muli-cellular organism leaks energy like H2o out of a delta."  
"Causing it to die?!" Booster said, cringing.  
  
"Right. Lets find that disconnection team!"  
  
They entered the shaking room in Gamma formation.  
"Booster, look out!" Mira warned pointing to a large piece of debris. He jumped out of the way just as the massive vine hit the ground. Buzz tried to brace himself from the impact wave. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Buzz caught the sight of a familiar metallic arm. Turning his head sharply, he spotted Warp struggling towards an emergency exit.  
  
"I found it!" Booster's words broke Lightyear's concentration from Darkmatter. XR and Mira stopped their search and met Booster at the disconnected vine that was still connected to the strange alloy box. Quickly, Buzz activated his jetpack and joined the others.  
"Can you guys handle this?" Lightyear said unusually quick.  
"Buzz?" Mira questioned understandingly, noticing his eager expression.  
"Its Darkmatter."  
  
"You can count on us, Buzz!" Booster said confidently.  
With no time wasted, Lightyear went for his target, and the rest of the team took action.  
"O.K, its up to us to get this thing out!" Mira said, pulling on the vine. "Won't budge! XR!" At that, the little robot ranger plugged a device into the box from his motherboard. "Uhh, it must be a new locking system." XR mentioned.  
"Can you overwrite it?" Booster said with a sense of nervousness.  
"We don't have much time!"  
  
Trying to act quickly, XR only murmured, "It's not responding!"  
  
"Nice try, Darkmatter." Buzz said standing behind him. Warp swung around and  
he took a few steps forward.  
  
"Lightyear."  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
A little shocked at Buzz's quick statement, and not knowing what to say, Warp tried to conger up an excuse. His face was stern.  
  
"Like I have—" He stopped in mid-sentence when a loud cracking noise echoed in the room. Then, Warp glanced up and gasped. Turning his wide eyes back on Buzz yelled,  
"Lightyear!"  
  
Buzz then looked up as a huge piece of the power plant came crashing down. Darkmatter thrust forward  
and gave Buzz a hard shove, knocking him a few feet back. The ranger could hear a loud crash behind him. He sat up from were he landed and shielded his face with a hand as a big cloud of smoke from the floor settled. "Waarrrp!"  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
"Come on, XR," Mira said under her breath. The little robot continued to fiddle with the alloy box's system.  
"May-be if I ..." XR thought out loud when turning to one of his last resorts.  
"Yes! We got contact—reversing process!"  
Click! A valve opened and the energy flowed back into the deprived plant. Its decaying vines were immediately revived as the pinkish-green colored energy seeped into its every little crevice. "Yeah, way to go XR!" Mira cheered when getting up from her kneeling position.  
Booster gave his little friend a high- five.  
"Oh, we bad!"  
  
"Look out!"  
  
"That's right!"  
  
"Uuh... uuh, uuh, uuh!" XR and Booster sang as they did their usual victory dance, but there excitement was short lived. "Where's Buzz?"  
  
Lightyear was kneeling next to his old partner, who was helplessly pinned from the waist down, under the giant piece of plant. Buzz quickly, but easily reached for Darkmatter's limp,  
  
flesh hand to get a pulse. "Cough, cough....uhhhhhh." Darkmatter started to come to. "Warp..." Buzz murmured, but Darkmatter's eyes stayed clamped shut. He knew he had to act fast. "If that would work..." He had an idea.  
  
Buzz pinpointed his wrist laser and sliced the gigantic piece of power plant in little chunks. He lifted them swiftly off of the victim underneath. The thought of leaving Agent Z behind never crossed his mind. Tossing the last piece of power plant aside, Buzz then grasped Warp's metallic arm and started to lift the injured Darkmatter—pulling his arm over his shoulder. "On your feet ranger!" Buzz had a slight tingle at his slip of the tongue, but a bit of smirk came to Darkmatter's mouth. They started to make their way back to the entrance and the alloy box. "Buzz!" The team said as they saw their captain walk up.  
"You captured Agent Z?" Mira said kind of surprised. Buzz started to say something when the Professor walked up.  
  
"Many thanks rangers." The team turned their heads.  
  
"I just came from one of the city's power control rooms and looks like everything is going to be fine. Of course we will have to repair any damage done to the plant. But the cities' back up systems have been responding."  
  
"UGH..." Warp tried to reach for his leg.  
  
Every one was silent for a moment. Then clearing his throught, Buzz spoke up. "Glad to hear every things a. okay, but uh, under the circumstances..." He than pulled Warp up more to better support him.  
  
"We best be getting back to Star Command. Sorry to leave—" The professor interrupted. "No, I understand. We have everything under control."  
  
PART 6: GOING BACK  
  
"Mira--ahh, help me with Warp." Buzz called to the rookie ranger while trying to board cruiser 42. She trotted down the ramp and gave her captain a hand. Booster and XR were already warming up the engines. Back inside 42's bunker, Buzz and Mira lowered Agent Z on a cot. Warp let out a groan and tried to clutch his leg again as the two let go. Mira paused and glanced at Buzz's worried face, than quietly walked away to join XR and Booster.  
"You should keep your leg strait—doesn't look to good." Buzz tolled Warp.  
"Why--ahh--are you doing this?" Darkmatter murmured, trying to sit up while rubbing his head. Lightyear put a stern look on his face and raised an eyebrow. "Like I have—" Beep, beep! Warp's communicator went off. He weakly pushed a button to receive the transmission. Than looking in the little screen he saw it was Zurg.  
"Craters." "Darkmatter, do you have the power yet?" Warp rolled his eyes and flopped backwards, sending his metallic arm to his side. Though the screen the evil emperor could see Buzz. "Darkmatter? Huh? Oh, curse you Buzz Lightyear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
"For all its worth!" Warp thought as he again, pushed the little purple button to end the transmission. Buzz started to walk to the door than paused quick to look over his shoulder. Darkmatter seemed to be all right. "Buzz, what exactly happened back there?" XR asked as their captain walked into the bridge.  
Lightyear took his seat at his control panel.  
  
"Well XR," Buzz took a deep breath and informed the team the whole incident as they headed back to Star Command.  
  
PART 7: GETTING WELL  
  
"Buzz Lightyear, personal log. As I wait for the LGM's update on uh, Darkmatter's 'condition,' I pause to commemorate the actions of --" "Um, Buzz?" A wide-eyed LGM said, interrupting his sentence. Lightyear closed the top of the recorder and the little alien started to lead Buzz down a hallway.  
"So...what's the damage?" The ranger asked. "Uh, chuckle to the sickbay or Darkmatter?" The LGM replied, looking up at Buzz. "Seems like some ones back to normal—the old cuss." Lightyear said under his breath before telling the LGM, "Darkrmatter."  
  
"Had a mild concussion and a broken leg, but should recover quickly."  
  
In sickbay room No. 45...  
  
"Uh...what's this?" Warp said cringing a little nervously. He pointed to the 'something' a LGM nurse had just handed him on a little white tray. "Looks... yucky." Warp thought to himself. The little alien nurse peered inside the container on the tray. "Uh, something all liquidized in a cup?" She answered.  
"And you expect me to...eat it?" Warp looked at the LGM wide-eyed. "Can't let it go to waste." The little nurse replied as she turned to the desk at her right, and pushed the loudspeaker button to page another nurse LGM. Warp looked at his 'meal' and raised an eyebrow....  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Buzz and the doctor LGM came to the end of the hallway and entered the sickbay station. He continued to lead Buzz, and they came to a pathway of doors. They stopped at door number 45. "Careful Buzz." The LGM mentioned.  
"He has a broken leg and a concussion—what could possibly happen?"  
Buzz went to go turn the doorknob, but a LGM nurse stormed out. Her annoyed expression was covered  
  
with the 'something all liquidized in a cup.'  
  
"What could possibly happen—uhhh, got to stop saying that." Buzz thought to himself as he opened the  
door slowly. Warp's left hand was situating his casted leg from the jolt of hitting his target. The smirk on  
his face said it was all worth it. But oddly he did not seem too good—or back to normal. Warp leaned back  
on his pillow when he heard someone open the door. Buzz was eager but he casually entered the room and walked over to where Warp was. Darkmatter's arms were crossed and a cocky- like expression on his face. The scene felt awkward to both of them. There was a few seconds of silence. Then Lightyear just let it out. "You—you saved me. That was—" Warp cut him off, like he knew what he was going to say. "Real ranger thinking—instincts! Well that's over, over!" Warp repeated as to convince himself. "Can't you just let that go?" Darkmatter's remark hit Lightyear hard, but he recovered quickly.  
"Rangers don't let go, or give up." Warp stayed silent. His face now was anger, annoyance as he jerked his head forward. He wouldn't look at Buzz.  
"UGH!!!!!" Some of Lightyear's frustration came out. He started to pace up and down along side the bed.  
"You honestly expect me to let go—to give up when a partnership, a friendship goes to space dust!?"  
Buzz paused and looked at Darkmatter's face, and went on. That's when Warp's mind started to run. "Won't he get off it all ready? Doesn't he realize what he's doing?"  
But, deep down inside something's been tugging. His conscious. "Do you realize what your doing?"  
  
"Its never too late." Lightyear's words made Warp snap out of his inner- battle. He turned his head toward Buzz. "I didn't think, sigh it would be like this." Buzz said in a truthful, sad tone. Warp turned his head away again. At that, Lightyear just walked out of the room. Darkmatter watched —out of the corner of his eye—the door close behind Buzz.  
"Neither did I." Warp whispered to himself. His deep down tug became a constant nag. The dead silence of  
a short pause was interrupted when Darkmatter's reaching metallic hand touched the edge of the little desk  
He hesitated, for a moment, but determinedly pushed a button the nurse previously used for the intercom.  
"Hey, Lightyear, did I give you permission to leave—I don't think so!"  
At Warp's voice, Buzz immediately trotted into the room and swung the door opened. "Warp?"  
  
Darkmatter looked at Buzz and gave him a thumbs up.  
"To infinity...and beyond." 


End file.
